Entertainment For Lively Minds
"We shouldn't be doing this, Mr Wilson"
Well, it looks like it's on. Here are the Kokomo Hitmakers, and they've managed to stop hurling lawsuits at each other long enough to limber up for their appearance at the Grammy awards this Sunday, although Bruce looks like he's itching to get back on the Golf course.
I'm grimly fascinated to see how this turns out. Mike Love's touring version of the band have done so much to systematically trash and cheapen the legacy of the band over the years it'll be interesting to see whether this sinks to a new low, or maybe...just maybe..they'll pull it off and it'll be amazing.
Bands and artists generally have got pretty good at this whole reformation lark. It's not like the 80s when the likes of The Hollies or Gerry and the Pacemakers went on TOTP with mullets and squeezed into leather trousers. The trick is to not to try and pretend you're still in your twenties but put a smart suit on, and do your best with some dignity. Give it a bit of the Leonard Cohen style.
I'm not sure they've got it in them, but to be fair, as is is pointed out in Jon Stebbins fine book 'Beach Boys FAQ', they always were total squares with the exception of the late brother Dennis, so maybe they're being true to their original vision.
Initial signs are not good. Apparently they are to be joined for their appearance by that Maroon 5 and Foster the People (no me neither). That's not going to be any good is it?
I can't wait though...
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Grimly Fascinating right enough
To best honest, much though I like their music, I'd probably prefer to see a good quality tribute act rather than the collection of grizzled old beardies and session musicians that must comprise the Beach Boys these days.
Put a bunch of young guys out in those stripey shirts and let them get stuck into I Get Around and all the rest. I'm interested to see how this Queen thing pans out; I think they may have the right idea.
Caption competition
Mike Love: It's wonderful to see the band back together after all these years, isn't it Brian?
Brian Wilson: And you are.....?
I see kettle drums
Does that mean Waiting For the Day is on the set-list?
Mike Love...
... appears not to be particularly "reunited" in that pic does he?
No good can come of this. DONT DO IT BRIAN! GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!
They were probably doing a
run through of "Cabinessence"...
Blown off the stage?
Literally? Because I see that Maceo Parker is also performing at the Grammies this year. Never reformed because he never deformed.
Another one
Al: "Testing, one-two, testing one-two. Sounds good. What time do the Fat Boys show up?"
Mike, Bruce and Brian (in unison): "We're already here!"
At first glance
I thought Mike Love was a security guard.
The last time I saw the Beach Boys live Carl was still with them and his vocals were the high spot of the show. Mike Love I found to be an extremely irritating man indeed so I've never been back.
Worthy of mention was the chap in candy stripe shirt and baggy shorts who spent the whole concert singing along on an actual surf board in the aisle.Don't know how he got it into the SSECC but it brought a smile to everyone's face and the security just left him to it.
Caption Competition
Mike: Brian - do you really think we need to use Timpani?
Brian: Good point Dad! Guys, let's lose the girl singer.
Caption Competition
Mike: "...and then the timpani come in on the last chorus of Good Vibrations"
Brian: "Timpani? I thought that was the catering company delivering the soup!"
Mr Positive Thinker
I fondly recall Mike Love explaining in a Beach Boys doc how "Brian is melancholy... I'm Mr Positive Thinker!" It's been said so many times before, but he really is an absolute grade-A TOOL, isn't he?
This is likely to fascinate for all the wrong reasons. Sad...
Help Me Al
I'm keeping an open mind about it - Al Jardine came out with a fairly good solo album a year or so back and he seems to still have a good voice too.
In Defence of Mike Love
Having bought the Smile CD I've got to say that I have a lot of sympathy for Mike Love's point of view about "Brian's ego music". I'm also someone who finds Pet Sounds cloying and maudlin.
I saw a comment on the Guardian site to the effect that the Beach Boys performing with Maroon 5 was the most depressing news of the year. What can any reasonable person say to that?
They should play "Wild Honey" to make The Boss blush
Blighter's pinched the theremin riff for his new single.
Foster the People!
Cool, Pumped Up Kicks is a proper TUNE!
As for the Beach Boys... Hasn't the last decade shown that BrianW has demonstrated how to do a Beach Boys legacy live show, mainly thanks to his backing band, The Wondermints. As I understand, this tour is BrianW & The Wondermints with Bruce, Al & The Tool, plus one or two extras. So if the core is the same as the BW tours then they'll probably pull it off.
As for their music, I can take it or leave it. Their legend has been sustained by the soap opera, methinks.
I stopped going
to see Brian a couple of years back as it became clear that he was barely doing anything onstage anymore. Wheras before he sang a lot, played a little bass and some keyboards, now he does v little.
The Wondermints are great but I'd say since doing the Lucky Old Sun set Bri hasn't been there.
With Carl not there - its really not the B Boys. Brian will turn up but as for actually taking part, I'd be very surprised.
On your Marks
David Marks probably can't believe his luck with all this! In the group for about 3 hours in 61 or 62 then never, as far as I know, in it again until now!
Just had a thought though! Maybe Sir Thumbs aloft and Bongo Starkey could get Pete Best to re-join and, hey presto, the Beatles are back in business!
He's been playing with them on and off
for the last 15 years or so.
To be fair, given the rate at which they churned out records in the early days he contributes more than you might think. He actually plays on the first 4 LPs with them and clocked up over 100 live dates. He was taught to play guitar by John Maus (aka John Walker of the Walker Brothers) and is credited with encouraging the more urgent, twangy guitar style to the early recordings.
He left the band in 1963 at the ripe old age of 15 after getting on the wrong side of the notorious Murry Wilson.
You're right about the Beatles, they're missing a trick. Aren't some of the original Quarrymen still kicking about, they could get them in, and maybe Klaus Voorman on bass and maybe Eric Clapton since he played with them for a bit.
Thumbs and Bongo
have they spoken to Pete Best in the last 50 years? Time to buy him a pint, surely?
They did buy him a pint indirectly
by putting some if his performances on Volume 1 of the Anthology, for which he will still be receiving a sizeable Gregory, and no doubt a nice Xmas bonus when those tracks went up on iTunes.
Caption Competition
Mike: So, immediately following the bridge of I Get Around we go straight into Fun, Fun, Fun, What do you think, Brian?
Brian: Is it Giro day?
Bruce: Yes and we were talking earlier about taking Help Me, Rhonda down a semitone. Thoughts on that one Brian?
Brian: Have I 'ad me dinner, yet?
(with apologies to Burt for nicking his joke - yet again)
Fun? Fun? Fun?
I just looked at a clip of the 'Boys' doing Good Vibrations last night and it didn't look too bad - looks lick they did what people expected.
Has anyone else seen any of it?
Yep
Brian looked absolutely terrified and his vocal was so strong and loud in the mix I suspect it was on tape.
and they all seem to be turning into Fred Willard
They've taken that video down
but there is a crappy version elsewhere. It sounds really weird. At the point when Brian is singing I think he's completely drowned out by Foster And Peoples, or The Maroon Boys or whoever it is were on stage with him. I can barely make out any Beach Boys in the mix in fact, apart from Mike Love who is half whispering his lines and concentrating on pointing at the crowd..at least he didn't stop half way through and start goading the crowd.
Here's Brian looking equally terrified at the 1976 Grammys. Big queue for the toilets at this one, and there was a nasty cold going around.
He Just Wasn't Made For These Times!
There is an interview on grammy.com which is worth looking at.
Poor old Brian doesn't seem to have much idea of what is going on. His face seems to be permanently frozen in a sort a scared/shocked expression. It doesn't change at all during the 4 minutes or so of the Video.
At the end of the clip he leaps to his feet, shakes hands with the interviewer and dashes off ahead of the other 4 - very odd.